Posts Tagged ‘ drugs ’

Sadly, adverse events continue to be all too common in medicine. The U.S. Office of the Inspector General estimates that “13.5 percent of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries experienced adverse events during their hospital stays.” In 2014, one news source noted that “Preventable medical errors persist as the No. 3 killer in the U.S. – third...
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Along with other harmful side effects, many drugs can increase the risk of falling for elderly. Recently published, researchers note that “the results from this study indicate that GPs (general medical practitioners) need to be reminded that there is a connection between FRID (fall-risk-increasing drugs) use and falls among elderly patients of enough clinical...
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Almost everything you consume goes through your kidneys, including any drugs you take. Not surprisingly, drugs can take a toll on the kidney function. A recent study found that “avoidance of polypharmacy (taking multiple drugs) was associated with an improvement in renal (kidney) function.” As everyone knows, all drugs have side effects. In addition,...
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You go in to see your doctor who confirms your suspicion, you need care for some kind of ailment. It may be a drug, surgery or something else. In the course of your conversation, you hear how the care (also known as an “intervention”) will address your ailment and ultimately improve your health. You...
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Seniors can face greater dangers from certain drugs than younger people do. The amplified negative side effects can result in emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization and even death (mortality). A new study looks at veterans (65 years and older) to determine the potential dangers of skeletal muscle relaxants (55,566 patients) and antihistamine drugs (60,058...
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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and aspirin. A paper published in The American Journal of Accountable Care noted the frequent and serious complications that are all too typical for those who regularly use these drugs:   “A systematic review of 17 prospective observational studies found that 11% of...
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A recent study shows that “worsening degrees of ED (erectile dysfunction) are seen when a greater number of medications are taken, regardless if they are prescribed or over the counter.” The study results show that the more drugs men take, the higher the percentage of those with ED: 0-2 drugs – 15.9% have ED...
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A 20-year study revealed that “persistent cannabis use over 20 y(ears) was associated with neuropsychological decline (IQ decline), and greater decline was evident for more persistent users. This effect was concentrated among adolescent-onset cannabis users, a finding consistent with results of several studies showing executive functioning or verbal IQ deficits among adolescent-onset but not...
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Researchers are aware that “the use of acid suppression has been associated with an increased risk of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in the outpatient setting.” This inspired a study to better understand how acid suppression drugs negatively impact the lungs. Their study found that “forty-six percent of patients taking acid-suppression medication had...
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There is no such thing as a totally safe drug, especially when you are pregnant. A new study “analyzed 97,680 pregnancies. Prevalence of medication use was 74% pre-pregnancy, 56% during pregnancy, and 80% post-pregnancy. Most frequently used medications during pregnancy were antibiotics (47%), antiemetic (nausea) drugs (23%), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin,...
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